‘Riverdale’: Josie & The Pussycats Leader Ashleigh Murray Is The Role Model We All Need

‘Riverdale’ is filled with stars who will blow you away; from new actors like Camila Mendes to pros like Luke Perry, the show’s cast is talented and charismatic. And when you hear ‘charisma,’ it’s impossible not to think of Ashleigh Murray, the lead singer of Josie and the Pussycats.

“Josie is a powerhouse.” That’s just one statement that Ashleigh Murray said in an exclusive interview with HollywoodLife that we had to agree with, hands down. The actress, who just returned from Sundance where she debuted her new film, Deidra & Laney Rob a Train, is in absolute awe over the positive reaction her character on the new CW show has gotten.

Ashleigh takes on the role of Josie McCoy in the Archie comic’s based show, and unlike most of the characters, is not interested in romance‘s yet.

“There’s no time for boys yet. I think it’s gonna take some really gorgeous being to come and just knock her off her feet in order to divert her eyes from her true goal,” Ashleigh told us, adding that Josie is one of the best role models she’s ever seen — and not just for women. “She’s very driven, very smart, very calculated about what she wants to do and what she wants to succeed in. She’s also a fierce fierce friend. She’s all about making her dreams come true, but not just her own, her girlfriends as well. It’s superrelatable to a lot of young girls and young guys as well — anyone who’s really pursuing a dream specifically in the music industry. It’s nice to see someone with so much charisma and so much bravery and so much power, and really fight her way to the nail to not only make it to the top, but bring the rest of her group with her.”

However, we will get a relationship between Josie and Archie (KJ Apa), as we know he wants to delve in to the music world. “She is incredible hesitant with Archie in the beginning. There is something that’s going to happen that creates a rift between her and her pussycats because of him,” she teased. “You’ll see how she handles that. Archie might bat an eyelash or two, and strum a note or two to kind of bring Josie into the sweetness and a bit softer in her perception of him.”

While you don’t see a ton of Josie in the first couple episodes, we will get an inside look at the relationship with her parents — specifically the butting heads she goes through with her father, who is also a musician. “She wants to kind of live up to his dreams and expectations of her, and yet his idea of real music differs from Josie’s,” she said.

So, still not sure Riverdale‘s for you? Here’s Ashleigh’s description of the show — trust me, you’ll love it. “It’s a sweet town with a a lot of dark secrets. Everybody always wants to know what the gossip is, what’s really going on… especially when everyone seems so perfect. So it’s the perfect chance to get an inside look at what really goes on behind closed doors, behind the smile, behind the facade. It’s based in current time, so you’re tackling all these real-life problems that not just teenagers today deal with, but respective parents, too.”